Good for you and the planet

The trend toward creating an eco-friendly home won’t be fading anytime soon, as evidenced at last week’s Green Products Expo in Manhattan’s Grand Hyatt Hotel, where companies touted everything from low-flow showerheads and energy-saving cookware to high-tech thermostats and machines that turn air into water.

As we observe Earth Day, here’s a look at some of the products being introduced into the marketplace that can be good for your family’s health and that of the planet.

The bathroom is one area where eco-friendly products continue to pick up steam. Moen’s water-saving technologies include its new Anabelle bath faucet and Nurture three-setting showerheads that reduce water usage up to about 30 percent, while providing the same water experience you’re used to.

“Saving water is as easy as one, two, three,” said Ed Del Grande, water conservation spokesman for Kohler, another company showcasing its water-saving products last week. “By changing faucet aerators, showerheads and toilets, a family of four can save up to 39,000 gallons of water per year.”

The company suggests switching from 2.2 gallon per minute (gpm) faucet aerators to 1.5 gpm versions, which maintain the same pressure while reducing the volume of water. Homeowners also can replace old showerheads with a flow of 2.5 gpm with low-flow showerheads that use 1.75 gpm.

Del Grande, a master plumber, showed off a high-efficiency toilet that uses 1.28 gallons of water per flush, as opposed to older models that use 3.5 gallons. By making this switch alone, the company estimates families can save about 16,500 gallons per year – good for the Earth and their wallet.

Among the other notable eco-friendly products for the bath being extolled last week were Panasonic Home and Environment Co.’s WhisperGreen ventilation fans. According to the company, these ceiling-mounted fans remove excess moisture that can damage a home’s structure, clear airborne pollutants and odors from the air and are quieter and more energy-efficient than older models.

GREEN IN THE KITCHEN

Another area where green products were shown to be abundant is the kitchen. For instance, GreenPan offers eco-friendly cookware with Thermolon non-stick technology, which is free of chemicals like polytetrafluoroethylene and perfluorooctanoic acid.

A good conductor of heat, the coating allows for even heating and cooking on low to medium temperatures, which, the company claims, can lead to lower gas bills. It also has a “green” application process with 60 percent less carbon dioxide emitted in comparison to conventional non-stick coatings.

“Everyone is trying to be healthy and cook healthy and we’re working toward that,” said GreenPan spokeswoman Jessica Fucale.

360 Cookware showed off its line of eco-friendly products that use Vapor Technology to heat food quicker, at lower temperatures and without added fat or water.

The cookware features a water seal, topped off with a stainless steel cover that makes each piece a “little oven.” Heat is quickly absorbed in the bottom, up the sides and around the top to cook evenly in a 360-degree system.

Their products can help homeowners save on gas and electricity bills, the company says, claiming that using it for one meal each day saves on average $6.97 a week and $363.44 a year.

Drinking water also is getting a green upgrade. Air2Water Revolution water-generating machines are designed to draw moisture from the air and purify it through a patented ultraviolet filtration process.

Home and office machines can produce about five gallons of water every 24 hours, said distributor Ron Dorfman, adding that larger commercial machines can make up to 3,000 gallons every day, making them a good fit for developing countries, water-challenged terrain and members of the military serving overseas.

TEMPERATURE CONTROL

Among temperature-control products on display last week were 3M’s Prestige Series of clear and metal-free window films that help reduce energy costs by blocking up to 66 percent of the sun’s heat coming through the window.

Additionally, the films offer fade protection for furnishings, UV protection from the sun’s rays and protection from burglars, by making it more difficult to smash through windows.

Trane showed off its latest energy-saving innovation, the ComfortLink II Thermostat with a 7-inch, high-definition color touch screen with a user interface that allows homeowners to program in their ideal temperature for any time of day.

ComfortLink II’s features include: the ability to control comfort from any room of the house; a five-day forecast, and transformation into a digital picture frame when not in use.

“It’s an energy management piece,” Trane spokesman Robert Prevost explained. “You can look at your schedule and program the temperature you want when you’re home, at work, sleeping.”

Echoing the sentiments of other vendors touting their products at this year’s Green Products Expo, Prevost observed, “It’s totally different from anything out there.”